South Hill Banks – Appalachian Blues

Well, if anyone is looking for one hell of a rippin’ good bluegrass time, you best head right on over to check out South Hill Banks’ latest single, ‘Appalachian Blues’. Preparing for their upcoming album which drops on November 9th, South Hill Banks has dropped two fairly diverse singles and I have to say, without any qualm whatsoever, this is by far my favourite of them. I don’t mind a good mix of country, Americana and bluegrass as with their debut single ‘Movin On My Mind’, but I just have to say that there is something in the wonderful rippin’ repetition of ‘Appalachian Blues’ that just allows for a clear story without getting too flashy (Aside from the awesome solos between the verses but that is to be expected in a bluegrass tune).

Throwing in the electric guitar alongside the banjo, fiddle and mandolin is a really interesting choice that I think ultimately works to the advantage of the band, especially since it seems that some of their upcoming album will feature some more country-focused tunes with that shining Americana that everyone loves so much.

I do have to say though, while this song might sit way more on the bluegrass side of things than any other genre, the fact that the tune is all about traipsing up the Appalachian Trail, I have to say that, in topic at the very least, that Americana still sits in there. The wonder of this song really makes me want to start out on this trail myself. Sure, it is a blues song all about a poor boy walking the trail and the hardships he faces but hey…I think we could all use a coming of age story like hiking the trail across the state lines and coming out on the other side with one hell of a story.

No matter how you choose to take this song, there is one thing for sure, if this is any sort of hint at what the rest of the upcoming will be like, I cannot wait to review the rest of this, and you should definitely want to rush out and get hands on it too. Now, go listen to this hard-going bit of bluegrass right over HERE! I’ve been singing the damn thing for the past hour and I still can’t get enough!

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